Lotusflow3r.com updates…
Every day I’ve been cruising over to Lotusflow3r.com, Prince’s new web site, to see if there’s anything new. Well, it’s nothing earth-shattering, but we do have a few changes since yesterday…
First off, snippets of three new tunes have replaced the three previous. “Chocolate Box” is another selection from MPLS, Prince’s “old school” Pro Tools album, which I’m looking forward to the most. “A Colonized Mind” is supposed to play next, but at this point I hear only silence. That one I’m guessing comes from his second new album, Lotus Flower. The third is “All This Love”, which must be off Bria Valente’s new album, Elixir. Only about 30 seconds of each song are streaming…
Secondly, we have an itty bitty little ticket icon on the site. If you click it, you’ll see the ticket pictured here. Looks like January 31st will bring us a show in L.A., or some other item up Prince’s sleeve that will cost $77. Better than $777… You can also enter in your name and email and sign up for updates.
Ann Powers gets a night with the MPLS Genius
Well, not that kind of night. Ann Powers, a writer at the L.A. Times, just posted a full feature about her night out with Prince. It’s one of the more entertaining and comprehensive articles / interviews I’ve read about the purple man in a while.
Of note:
The website, still under construction, revealed the recognizable logo of a major big-box retailer with whom Prince is finalizing negotiations to distribute the albums. The three will hit the Web and that retailer, the artist said, “as soon as the holidays are over.”
Well? Let’s have ’em! Actually, some of my neighbors still have their Christmas lights up. Are the holidays over?
And also, Prince’s favorite show on the ol’ TV? Real Time with Bill Maher.
- One Night With Prince, by Ann Powers (L.A. Times Pop & Hiss Blog)
- Keep watching Lotusflow3r.com for the albums to drop.
The Friday Five: January 09, 2009
If you’ve been working for the weekend, well you are in luck because it’s just about that time. That’s right, it’s Friday and it’s time to kick back hit the shuffle button and let the music take us where it will. Today we’re firing up the iPod to battle the post-lunch dip!
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“Sister Christian” – Night Ranger (from Midnight Madness)
Yeah! Now this… this is the way to kick off a shuffle. In the world of truly kick-ass power ballads this definitely is ‘all-time’ material. Who would ever think that a tune written by a big brother watching his little sister grow up would cement’s the bands place in history.
“Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad” – Prince (from Prince)
Here’s the thing, Purple Rain is classic, Parade is sublime and there are few that would argue that Sign “☮” the Times is anything but a masterpiece. But for me Prince‘s 1979 self-titled album is the record that I turn to time and again for my purple fix. From “I Wanna be Your Lover” to “Bambi” this is, for me, the best quick fix.
“Your Boyfriend Sucks” (mp3) – The Ataris (from Blue Skies, Broken Hearts… Next 12 Miles)
This power pop gem pulls absolutely no punches. Hell, the first line about sums it up… “You’re better off without him, don’t call him… He’s breaking your heart.” From the band’s 1999 release, this tune along with “I Won’t Spend Another Night Alone” won me over as a fan back then and I still look forward to hearing their brand of pop-punk brashness.
“Crush” – Dave Matthews Band (from Before These Crowded Streets)
Writing the perfect love song is a task where many a man falls short; Dave Matthews is not one of them.
“The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove” (mp3) – Dead Can Dance (from Into the Labyrinth)
In the early 90’s my desire for new and ‘different’ music was insatiable and one of my favorite ‘finds’ was the dark baroque (and often Celtic) music of Dead Can Dance. Recorded at Quivvy Church (in County Cavan, Ireland) Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry blend world and ethereal music to a profound effect. This track features Perry‘s deep baritone singing of, as Perry put it, “the abstract relationship of myself and woman “.
Okay, I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!
New Prince Site
For the first time in nearly a year Prince has an official web presence again. It’s a place holder at the moment but promises many of the features of the NPGMC. The media player is playing “Crimson & Clover”, “(There’ll Never B) Another Like Me” and Bria Valente‘s ““Here I Come”. Of particular interest is the TV on the bottom of the site featuring a scene from Purple Rain (the 25th aniversary is this year, could we finally get a remaster?)
You can find it all at www.lotusflow3r.com.
A Nudge in the Right Direction
Happy New Year, folks. I’ll get into the groove of posting some tasty tunes soon, but for now, here’s a few nudges and news nuggets to keep you occupied.
Oh, Twitter. I decided to join up and blast out random music-related musings at any moment’s notice. If you’re on Twitter, and feel like “following” me and my music-obsessed brain, check out my profile here, and let’s connect. I’m keeping it music-centric, so you won’t be hearing from me when I’m “tired” or “working” or “taking a dump”.
On to the nudges…
- Ann Powers, a music writer for the LA Times, was summoned to the Hall of the Mountain King, or in this case, Prince’s pad off Mulholland Drive. Prince shared his plans for ’09, which include 3 albums (‘MPLSOUND’, ‘The Lotus Flower’, and protege Bria Valente’s record). Prince also explains that “Jehovah’s Witnesses haven’t voted for their whole inception.” I did not know that.
- Mr. Malchus from the Popdose crew shares my love for the Los Lobos song “Be Still”. It was even his wedding “song”, along with Bruce’s “Book of Dreams”. Malchus and I – same wavelength…
- Speaking of Lobos, Gregor shares a show from ’84 on Captain’s Dead. Great to see love for the Lobos on the blogs.
- I am not a Zune person, but seems the 30 GB Zunes did not like the leap year, and decided to lock up. Any of you out there experience the Zap of the Zune?
- Last, and definitely not least, former Eurythmics-man Dave Stewart is releasing his own line of diamond-studded vibrators. How about that for extraordinarily random news? Oh, and be careful with that thing, ladies. I know diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but they also cut glass. Easy does it.
Bria Valente: Prince’s New Talent
If you saw the Lakers-Celtics game on Christmas Day, you may have seen Prince in the crowd, next to an attractive brunette. A shocker, I know! Her name is Bria Valente, and while I hesitate to call her Prince’s Flavor of the Month, or 21 st Century Vanity, he has spent some time with her in the studio. The track is “Here I Come”, and has Prince written all over it. The lyrics, guitars, and every other piece of instrumentation most likely.
Bria’s bedroom eyes My mind is not blown, but it has a nice, quiet storm feel to it. You can hear it on P’s new playground on the web: MPLSound.com. Not sure who the tech gurus are behind this venture, maybe Prince himself? That, or someone in need of a tutorial in 21st century web design. But have a listen, and look at a slide show of the lovely Ms. Valente.
Prince emerges from the studio
Not one, not two, but FIVE new Prince songs made their debut yesterday. Four of them on L.A.’s Indie 103.1: “4Ever”, “Wall of Berlin”, “Colonized Mind”, and “Crimson & Clover”, a loose cover of Tommy James & the Shondells (with some new lyrics), interspersed with some Jimi-esque “Wild Thing”.
Also making its debut a couple of days ago was MPLSound.com, which is streaming the mp3 of another new tune, a retro “classic” Prince joint called “(There’ll Never B) Another Like Me”. Ch-check it out!
12/19 Update – Looks like mplsound.com has quickly faded to black, joining its cousin, 3121.com. Here’s hoping the purple man can get a web site going again, for more than a day or two next time…]
Working On A Dream’s Album Cover
Boss fans: How does this make you feel?
I have to admit, I’m pretty lenient when it comes to album covers from my favorite artists. I think it goes back to Lovesexy – possibly the most embarrassing album cover of all time. Regardless of one’s opinion, you’re gonna be spending a fair amount of time with the record, so you may as well learn to get along, right? As an 18 year old kid, I stepped into the record store, grabbed a copy of Prince’s new album, and with as much masculinity as I could muster, placed this on the counter and paid me my money down…
Nowadays we buy most of our music behind the anonymous curtain of the internet. In MY day, you suffered for your music!
A Nudge in the Right Direction
It’s been awhile since we shared what’s popping up on our readers…
- The 25 Days of Mellowmas kicked off over at Popdose this week complete with an original theme song composed and performed by Alan O’Day. (Somewhere Alan Thicke is calling his management to contact Jeff and Jason for next year.)
- Radio Exile provides an official timeline to the whole Satriani vs. Coldplay debacle. (Because C, D, G, Em is clearly the most obscure chord progression ever.)
- It would appear that both Fleetwood Mac and The Faces are both headed out on the road in 2009. (Paging Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers…)
- Finally, it would appear Prince has lured yet another young lady into his life with the promise of a record release. (Can someone have Támar‘s people call Bria‘s people to start the intervention now?)
Enjoy!
Ickmusic’s “Black Friday” Five: November 28, 2008
Now that everyone has slept off their L-tryptophan induced coma and quite possibly spent the morning hunting down the best deal on the latest greatest gizmo it’s time to relax and what better way to do that than with a shuffle through some tunes. And in celebration of the day, we’re limiting the results to only tunes with the word “Black” in them.
For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with a bit of insight for each track.
Then it’s your turn! Just share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments and see what your fellow readers are listening to as well.
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. Weather Report – Black Market (from 8:30)
An absolutely masterful live performance highlighting the genius of Joe Zawinul, Peter Erskine, the brilliant Wayne Shorter and the incomparable Jaco Pastorius. Jaco’s bass percolates along the afro beat rhythm as Shorter blows hard bop lines that are out of this world.
2. Metallica – Fade to Black (from Ride the Lightning)
It has always been my theory that the entire Black Album is a vein attempt to capture what the band did in what is easily one of the bands most significant tunes. From the opening movement to the fade it is Metallica at their best.
3. AC/DC – Back in Black (from Back in Black)
Classic.
4. Pearl Jam – Black (mp3) (from Ten)
This is easily one of my favorite songs from the 90’s period. Eddie Vedder is a master of conveying the depths of the human condition and this is by far one of his finest moments. Up for grabs is the classic MTV Unplugged version.
5. Prince – Black Sweat (from 3121)
This is as close to the funk as he’s come in ages.
What’s saving you from long lines and aggressive shoppers?